When David Bowie passed away recently, many fans shared fond memories of his starring performance as the Goblin King in Labyrinth, Jim Henson's 1986 fantasy. Sure, maybe the movie as a whole wasn't the knockout dazzler that everyone wished it was, yet its goofy charms and original approach have held up well over the years and Bowie's sincere performance remains a highlight of his movie career.

Labyrinth was a disappointment at the box office, earning less than $13 million during its initial theatrical release, but its enduring appeal has seen it perform well on home video and win many more devoted fans. Now a new version will attempt to tap into the magic of the original.

Nicole Perlman (Guardians of the Galaxy) has been hired to write the screenplay, according to The Hollywood Reporter, though it's not clear if it's a direct sequel, a remake, or a spin-off. The original starred Jennifer Connelly as a teenager who must navigate a maze to save her younger brother, who has been kidnapped by the Goblin King (Bowie).

The new version, then, will likely need a young, strong female lead, someone like Jennifer Lawrence in The Hunger Games, Kristen Stewart in the Twilight movies, or Shailene Woodley in The Divergent Series. In other words, it's easy enough to see Labyrinth reborn as a young-adult action-adventure movie.

What could set the new Labyrinth apart, however, is the pure fantasy element. Imagine, for example, if The Lord of the Rings followed the quest of a female equivalent of Frodo Baggins. Lending credence to that idea is the continued involvement of the Henson Co., with company CEO Lisa Henson serving as producer for the new project. The company has focused its efforts on television in recent years, though it would be wonderful to see Henson-inspired creatures again showing up in Labyrinth.

The Goblin King is one of the few roles in the original that was played by a human -- the creatures were played by Henson's puppets -- which will make the casting critical, especially with memories of Bowie's iconic turn still in mind. If the Goblin King returns, we hope that whoever takes on the role will honor the character with sincere grace rather than snarky cynicism.

It'll probably be a couple of years before we see the movie come to fruition. In the meantime, watch the Labyrinth trailer and try to imagine someone else in the lead roles.